How are more serious knee injuries treated?

"More serious" is a label that can mean very different things from one page to the next. Ask what a claim about treatment rests on, because the documented range is wide.

Treatment from bracing to surgery

OrthoInfo (AAOS) says many knee injuries can be successfully treated with simple measures, such as bracing and rehabilitation exercises. It also says other injuries may require surgery to correct. So treatment ranges from simple measures to an operation, depending on the injury.

Who sorts bracing from surgery

OrthoInfo (AAOS) does not sort injuries into the group that heals with bracing and the group that needs surgery. Be wary of anyone who tells you which one your knee belongs to, or who says surgery is always the last step or the first. The word "may" in "may require surgery" also leaves the decision open until the injury is assessed.

Notes to bring about your knee injury

Write down how the injury happened, what you can and cannot do with the knee, and what you have already tried. Read the MedlinePlus overview of knee injuries and disorders and compare it with the WebMD pain management center. Then take your notes to a clinician in Totowa or nearby and ask what the injury is, how it was confirmed, and what the treatment options are.

Why the exam comes first

Whether a knee needs bracing or surgery is decided by an exam, so treat any answer given without one with caution.